Press releases
Lloyds Banking Group invests £10million in digital identity company Yoti
Investment will be used to develop innovative technology that protects customers’ identities and personal data online Lloyds Banking Group will support Yoti in developing a new, reusable digital identity proposition that will help combat the growing risks of identity fraud Lloyds Banking Group has invested £10 million in digital identity company Yoti, an investment which supports the development of innovative technology to keep people safe online, tackle the ever-growing risks of identity fraud, and give people more control over their personal data. Yoti offer a range of digital identity solutions that make it simple for people and businesses to protect themselves online. This includes a free Digital ID app, which gives individuals a safe and instant way to prove their identity from their phone, with no need to show ID documents or share an excessive amount of personal data. Digital IDs are a UK government-approved form of identification for right to work, right to rent and criminal records checks. Yoti’s Digital ID is also accepted as proof of age at UK cinemas,and for the sale of lottery tickets, energy drinks and tobacco. Businesses across a range of industries – from financial services and retail to gaming and e-commerce – are already seeing the benefits of Digital ID services. The investment from Lloyds Banking Group will support Yoti’s development of a new reusable digital identity proposition that will complement Yoti’s existing solutions. Set to launch later this year, this will give users a more private, secure and convenient way to prove their identity. Kirsty Rutter, FinTech Investment Director at Lloyds Banking Group, said: “We are thrilled to be supporting Yoti and their experienced, passionate team with their work to further protect people online, through developing and growing digital identity solutions. “We know how important fintechs and technology partners are for delivering better outcomes for our customers and this investment represents another step forward in our plans to strengthen the UK’s financial ecosystem and is a crucial part of how we help Britain prosper.” Robin Tombs, CEO at Yoti said, “I’m delighted to announce Lloyds Banking Group’s significant investment in Yoti. The combination of their expertise in financial services and our digital identity solutions will bring security to even more businesses, people and communities. We will make it easier and safer for individuals to prove who they are and enable businesses to have more trust and confidence in the identity of their customers.” The investment in Yoti is Lloyds Banking Group’s second investment of 2023, following a successful round of investments in 2022. These investments are headed up by the Group’s recently formed Fintech Investment team, which focuses on identifying and exploring opportunities for investment into fintech at Seed to Series B. Notes to editors With a reusable digital identity, individuals only need to verify their identity once and then share verified details in seconds, without needing to show their ID documents each time. Individuals can just share the details they need and nothing else – giving them greater control over their personal data. With individuals pre-verified, organisations can have greater confidence and trust in who they are dealing with. About Lloyds Banking Group Lloyds Banking Group is the largest UK retail and commercial financial services provider with around 26 million customers and a presence in nearly every community. Our main business activities include retail and commercial banking, general insurance, and long-term savings, provided through well recognised brands including Lloyds Bank, Halifax, Bank of Scotland, Scottish Widows. Our purpose is helping Britain prosper. We have served Britain through our products and services for more than 320 years, across every community and millions of households. Our success is interwoven with the UK’s prosperity, and we aim to help Britain prosper by operating as a responsible, sustainable, and inclusive Group. About Yoti Yoti is a digital identity technology company that makes it safer for people to prove who they are, verifying identities and trusted credentials online and in-person. They now provide verification solutions across the globe, spanning identity verification, age verification, document eSigning, access management, and authentication and leading facial age estimation. Over 13 million people have downloaded the free Yoti Digital ID app across the world. It is available in English, Spanish, French, German, Portuguese and Polish. Yoti is certified to ISO/IEC 27001:2013 for ID Verification Services, ISAE 3000 (SOC 2) Type 2 certified for its technical and organisational security processes. For more information, please visit www.yoti.com.
Lloyds Banking Group invests £10million in digital identity company Yoti
MyFace has been awarded iBeta NIST Level 2 with 100% attack detection rate Yoti’s passive liveness technology can be used to strengthen age checks, prevent account takeover and protect against identity fraud MyFace white paper outlines performance and bias 2nd March 2023, London, UK – Digital identity company Yoti has announced its proprietary passive liveness technology, MyFace, is now compliant with iBeta ISO PAD Level 2. The technology achieved a 100% attack detection rate. MyFace verifies that a user is a real person, and not a presentation attack such as a printed or digital photo, video or mask – all from a single image. MyFace can strengthen age and identity checks, prevent account takeovers and protect individuals and businesses against the growing risks of identity fraud. Since achieving iBeta Level 1 in February 2022, Yoti has continued to develop its liveness technology. Level 2 involves training and testing against more expensive, specialist attacks such as 3D printers, resin and latex face masks. To achieve Level 2, the liveness technology must detect 99% of attacks. Yoti achieved a 100% detection rate. Level 2 is the maximum level that iBeta and other NIST-accredited labs currently certify against. MyFace is a passive solution and only requires a selfie image to complete the liveness check, creating a smooth, inclusive and accessible user experience. The technology does not recognise any faces and does not save any images. It simply checks that the face in the image belongs to a real, live person. Paco Garcia, CTO at Yoti said, “We’re very proud that our proprietary liveness technology MyFace has achieved iBeta ISO PAD Level 2. It’s a huge achievement for the team and this milestone demonstrates our commitment to delivering very high standards of security solutions.” Robin Tombs, CEO at Yoti said, “It’s hugely exciting that Yoti’s MyFace passive liveness is now compliant with iBeta ISO PAD Level 2. Businesses around the world can use our passive liveness and world leading facial age estimation to keep their customers safe online. Naturally being Yoti, we have tested MyFace™ for bias and the model displays very low bias across age, gender and skin tone. To boost transparency and trust in this technology, we have also released a new liveness white paper.” MyFace works alongside Yoti’s existing suite of identity solutions: Strengthen age checks: Yoti’s facial age estimation technology checks the age of a user, and at the same time, MyFace verifies it is a real, live person. This is all completed from a single selfie, creating one seamless experience. The combination of these technologies could be used to create age-appropriate experiences online, protect children from accessing explicit content, and be used in a retail setting for the sale of age-restricted goods. Prevent account takeovers: MyFace can prevent account takeovers and ensure only genuine customers are accessing their accounts or updating important information, such as their bank details. Protect against identity fraud: MyFace can be used as part of an identity verification process to give a high confidence level that the person completing the check is real. Bot detection: MyFace can prevent bots from gaining access to information, or detect deepfake faces creating fake accounts. MyFace white paper is available here. Notes to editors iBeta Headquartered in Denver, Colorado, iBeta has been providing critical software testing services for the world’s most trusted brands since 1999. Our full range of on-demand QA software testing services encompasses many different software testing types including functionality testing, mobile testing, website testing, acceptance testing, accessibility testing, and overall quality assurance. NIST The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is an agency of the United States Department of Commerce whose mission is to promote American innovation and industrial competitiveness. NIST certification means the product in question meets defined standards. The difference between passive and active liveness: Active liveness requires the user to take a video of themselves performing certain actions, for example, moving toward and away from the camera, or repeating random words. This then uses AI and / or manual review to complete the check. Passive liveness can be achieved from a single selfie. Passive liveness reduces friction for users and at the same time providing as good as or even better security guarantees, thereby reducing drop off and speeding up the journey of verifying genuine users. About Yoti Yoti is a digital identity technology company that makes it safer for people to prove who they are, verifying identities and trusted credentials online and in-person. They now provide verification solutions across the globe, spanning identity verification, age verification, document eSigning, access management, and authentication and leading facial age estimation. Over 13 million people have downloaded the free Yoti Digital ID app across the world. It is available in English, Spanish, French, German, Portuguese and Polish. Yoti is certified to ISO/IEC 27001:2013 for ID Verification Services, ISAE 3000 (SOC 2) Type 2 certified for its technical and organisational security processes. For more information, please visit www.yoti.com
Yoti featured on Liminal’s list of Companies to Watch in 2023
Today, Yoti has featured on Liminal’s list of Companies to Watch in 2023. Each year Liminal, a strategy advisory firm serving the digital identity, cybersecurity and fintech markets, recognises ten standout companies with the potential to make significant impact in the coming year. Liminal’s research team, led by Travis Jarae, independently chooses all the companies on the list based on how well their products fit the market, their company momentum, and the current state of the ecosystem. Liminal has been tracking emerging trends, technologies, and business leaders in the rapidly evolving ecosystem of digital identity, cybersecurity, and fintech solution providers since 2016. Yoti was recognised due to its leading age verification solutions, and the important role these can play in protecting children online and offering easy, privacy-preserving proof of age for adults globally. Yoti is the leading global provider of age assurance, having performed over 570 million checks using its facial age estimation technology across retail, gaming, gambling, dating, social media, live streaming, ecommerce and adult content services. Travis Jarae, CEO of Liminal said, “The outstanding group of businesses that make up this year’s ‘companies to watch’ list are pioneers in their respective solution segments within Liminal’s Digital Identity Landscape. As strategists, we believe that these businesses provide us with the most insightful information about what the future holds for innovation, strategy, and teamwork.” Robin Tombs, CEO of Yoti said, “Given the high esteem of Liminal in the digital identity market, we are delighted to feature on their list of Companies to Watch in 2023. This recognition demonstrates the growing importance of digital identity and the role Yoti’s technologies play in reducing fraud and improving online safety. Our world leading privacy-preserving facial age estimation is helping an increasing number of global brands to create age-appropriate experiences. Last year was a momentous year for us and 2023 is shaping up to be just as big.” About Yoti Yoti is a digital identity technology company that makes it safer for people to prove who they are, verifying identities and trusted credentials online and in-person. They now provide verification solutions across the globe, spanning identity verification, age verification, document eSigning, access management, and authentication. In the UK, Yoti has partnered with Post Office to accelerate digital identity adoption, with a national footprint spanning 11,500 Post Office branches, online and more. Over 12 million people have downloaded the free Yoti app across the world. It is available in English, Spanish, French, German, Portuguese and Polish. Yoti is certified to ISO/IEC 27001:2013 for ID Verification Services, ISAE 3000 (SOC 2) Type 2 certified for its technical and organisational security processes. For more information, please visit www.yoti.com.
Yoti launches eSign with Selfie
Digital identity company Yoti has launched eSign with Selfie, a new feature in their digital signing platform. In an industry first, Yoti is the first company to integrate selfie verification directly into the signing process. This new feature allows individuals to confirm their identity with a selfie before signing a document. This reduces the risk of impersonation and fraud, and provides transparency and confidence that the correct person has signed the document. The recipient captures a selfie and signs the document in one simple flow: Signer takes a selfie. The image is analysed by our passive liveness technology, Yoti MyFace®. This checks if the image is captured by a live person by detecting presentation attacks, such as printed and digital photos, videos and masks. Once the liveness check is complete, the signer proceeds to sign the document. The selfie image is cryptographically linked to the e-signature, providing a high level of assurance over who has signed the document. Businesses can manage their documents from one digital platform and then email (or text) them out for signature – requesting selfie verification as part of the signing process. Robin Tombs, CEO at Yoti said, “There is a growing trend towards identity linked signatures as they are more secure and robust than a standalone signature. eSign with Selfie provides a high level of confidence and transparency over who is signing a document, whilst offering a faster, more frictionless experience than a separate, full ID verification check. Identity driven signatures through eSign help businesses fight fraud, meet compliance and regulatory requirements, and create more trusted business interactions.” Notes to editors Yoti MyFace® is certified to Level 2 by iBeta, a NIST-accredited lab who follow ISO 30107-3 testing methodology. The difference between passive and active liveness Active liveness requires the user to take a video of themselves performing certain actions. For example, moving toward and away from the camera, or repeating random words. This then uses AI and / or manual review to complete the check. Passive liveness doesn’t require any movement from the user and is achieved from a single selfie. This reduces friction for users, thereby reducing drop off and speeding up the journey of verifying genuine users.
Muzz introduces selfie and identity verification from Yoti for safer Halal dating
18th January 2023, London, UK – Leading Muslim dating and marriage app Muzz (formerly muzmatch) has partnered with digital identity company Yoti to give singles increased confidence and transparency over who they are connecting with online. Muzz has integrated Yoti’s photo verification technology to confirm every dating profile belongs to a real person. On account creation, users are required to take a selfie, which will be analysed by Yoti’s proprietary passive liveness technology, MyFace. The technology checks that the selfie is captured from a real person by detecting different presentation attacks, such as printed and digital photos, videos and masks. If the technology detects the image is not from a real person, they will be asked to take another selfie, helping to reduce the risks of fake profiles and catfishing. MyFace only requires a selfie image to complete the liveness check, creating a smooth user experience and speeding up the process of verifying genuine accounts. Muzz has also integrated Yoti’s identity verification technology, to strengthen online safety even further. Members can verify their identity for free. Muzz will boost the verified profiles, giving these daters a higher chance of connecting with more people. “Muzz is the world’s largest Muslim marriage app, so we have a responsibility to lead when it comes to safe spaces for Muslim singles. Yoti’s ID verification and MyFace technology give our members peace of mind that their matches are who they say they are,” says Shahzad Younas, CEO and Founder of Muzz. Robin Tombs, CEO of Yoti said: “We’re delighted to announce our partnership with Muzz to give Muslim singles greater peace of mind, trust and transparency over who they are connecting with online. Muzz pride themselves on creating the safest dating platform for the Muslim community, so we are proud they have chosen our technology to enhance their existing safety measures. Our technology has seamlessly integrated into the Muzz app, showing how dating platforms can verify users, without compromising their online dating experience. Verified profiles will make it easier and safer for honest people looking for love, and create safer, positive matches.” The partnership with Yoti allows Muzz to enhance their existing safety measures, which include an all-female support team, video and phone calls within the platform so users do not have to share their phone number, and the detection and removal of nude images. Notes to editors Yoti’s liveness technology – MyFace – is certified against the NIST standards by iBeta. The difference between passive and active liveness: Active liveness requires the user to take a video of themselves performing certain actions. For example, moving toward and away from the camera, or repeating random words. This then uses AI and / or manual review to complete the check. Passive liveness can be achieved from a single selfie. Passive liveness reduces friction for users, thereby reducing drop off and speeding up the journey of verifying genuine users. About Muzz Muzz (formerly muzmatch) is the world’s largest Muslim dating and marriage app, with over 7 million members and 400,000 successes. Founded originally as a website in 2011 by former Morgan Stanley banker Shahzad Younas, Muzz has seen massive success since the launch of its iOS and Android apps in 2016. The company has over 80 team members with offices in the UK, US, France and Pakistan. About Yoti Yoti is a digital identity technology company that makes it safer for people to prove who they are, verifying identities and trusted credentials online and in-person. They now provide verification solutions across the globe, spanning identity verification, age verification, document eSigning, access management, and authentication. In the UK, Yoti has partnered with Post Office to accelerate digital identity adoption, with a national footprint spanning 11,500 Post Office branches, online and more. Over 12 million people have downloaded the free Yoti app across the world. It is available in English, Spanish, French, German, Portuguese and Polish. Yoti is certified to ISO/IEC 27001:2013 for ID Verification Services, ISAE 3000 (SOC 2) Type 2 certified for its technical and organisational security processes. For more information, please visit www.yoti.com.
Konfir partners with Yoti for certified income and employment attributes
We are delighted to be working with Konfir, a B2B SaaS platform that lets employers instantly access employment or income records for any UK-based worker, with their consent. Konfir is at the forefront of the shift in determining how employment and income data is captured, verified, and shared, and has become the first certified Attribute Service Provider (ASP) under the UK Digital Identity and Attributes Trust Framework (DIATF). As the first government certified provider of employment and income data, globally, Konfir provides employment and income information, including work history, previous job titles and dates of employment, to companies or Identity Service Providers (IDSPs). Employers can request and share employment and income information at the touch of a button, speeding up the time to hire and onboard candidates using real-time employment data. Before employment information can be issued to an individual, it’s important to verify their identity first, to ensure the right details end up in the right hands. That’s where we come in. Through our partnership with Konfir and as the first certified IDSP, employers can request identity and employment history for individuals simultaneously. Individuals begin by choosing to verify their identity online or through the Yoti or Post Office EasyID app. Once we’ve verified their identity, Konfir will then provide their employment history activities as verified credentials. Typically, sensitive employment data is captured and shared in an unsecure way via email, PDF or on phone calls. With Konfir and Yoti, HR teams can spend less time manually checking documents, which not only saves time but also improves security. Individuals always consent to share their identity and employment data, giving them greater control and transparency over what information is shared with companies. Konfir is the latest company to embrace the power of digital identity checks. Since the government adjusted the way Right to Work checks could be completed, the recruitment industry and employers are enjoying the flexibility digital checks allow at scale. Yoti and Post Office, the first certified digital identity service provider, are proud to be delivering digital identity checks for companies up and down the country.